Leeds Insiders

Adam, 33, is a former Leeds Beckett student. Since graduating, he’s become a pioneer of the city’s arts and culture scene, as a founder of Live Art Bistro – an artist-led venue and curatorial team which supports the growth of live art practices in the region and encourages artists from further afield to present work in the city. He tells us why he loves his home city so much, he’s never left.

Amy Letman, 29, is one of those people making great things happen in Leeds. She’s the creative brains behind Transform Festival, a citywide event in Leeds that aims to get people excited by theatre, and to re-examine what theatre can be. She tells us how Leeds hooked her in since she moved here in 2011, and why she compares the city to Ghent in Belgium…

After moving to Leeds in 2014 to join the Leeds Rhinos rugby team, Anthony, 25, fell in love with the city. The popular rugby player gives us the lowdown on where to go, what to do and why he’s loving living in Leeds.

As co-owner of one of Leeds’s most popular student hangouts, Hyde Park Book Club, and editor of thestateofthearts.co.uk, the go-to place for Leeds arts, culture and politics news, Jack Simpson is definitely in the know when it comes to all the good stuff going on in Leeds.

Lil is one of Leeds’ most well-known food and lifestyle bloggers, writing as ‘Whip Until Fluffy’. She is also a director of Leeds Indie Food, a citywide festival celebrating the incredible independent food and drink scene in the city. If you want the lowdown on where to get the best grub in Leeds, Lil is your girl.

Truly part of the Leeds DIY music scene, Malaika Shaw is an up and coming jazz, soul and pop singer songwriter making a name for herself in Leeds and beyond. She records and releases all her own material in collaboration with other up-and-coming musicians and producers from the city. She’s a regular performer at bars and gigs all over Leeds.

Trinity Kitchen, at the top of Leeds Trinity Shopping Centre, was a game changer for the city’s food and drink scene when it opened in 2014. A whole floor dedicated to some of the most amazing street food on offer in the UK, it has permanent vendors alongside a monthly rotation of mouth-wateringly good street food trucks that travel far and wide for a pitch. Wendy is the woman behind the lively foodie destination. She shares her favourite city spots with us, and tells us why Leeds is a bit like Glasgow and Bristol…